Poems of the Sky Temple of the Northern Seas

Author: Elassus Herron

Original post: https://forums.eveonline.com/t/yc-122-newcwc-poetry-poems-of-the-sky-temple-of-the-northern-seas/241067

Author's note: This is my entry into the poetry category for the Capsuleer Writing Contest. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of the pre-contact Achur culture, which I’ve written about in previous contests [and which is the subject of a long-form novel I’ve been working on for three years now, being published in chapters over on Backstage]. These poems may be considered singly or as a whole. Hope you enjoy them!

Entry for YC122 New Eden Capsuleer’s Writing Contest in the Poetry category.

Voshyu-Vilitin, Tesvakyota Akamaat-Shokkun

Poems of the Sky Temple of the Northern Seas, from the Long Winter Period

Author's Note: the following poems and literary fragments were recovered from the ruins of the Sky Temple of the Northern Seas, unearthed in archaeological expeditions undertaken during the post-contact assimilation of the Achura homeworld into the Caldari State. Recent scholarly research suggests that this Temple persisted as an isolated settlement for several centuries during the Long Winter Period, maintaining a monastery and subsisting in the harsh northern climate long after most other outposts had been abandoned. By the later Long Spring Period the Temple was no longer inhabited, but many of its manuscripts were preserved by the cold temperatures and salinization from sea air. They are notable for the relatively unchanged literary forms employed, as the isolated Temple monks and nuns copied and re-copied the same limited set of texts over several centuries, rigidly repeating the styles of the broader Achur culture to which they no longer had access. The versions here mostly conform to the Sky Temple’s characteristic “tandem style” of speaking and writing, in which two authors share a single voice, and which this presentation attempts to preserve. The title of the collection is from the Caldari-language translation published in the Proceedings of the Archaeological Institute of the School of Applied Knowledge in YC27.

1. Black Leopard

Spring sun shining , faint rose low in the sky , shining, shining on the ice and glinting, glinting on the sea. The great waves surge back and forth thunder of all the world crashing on the rocks, crashing the mountains, unmoved , cold and still. In the swells of the sea , beneath the waves black leopards stalk , back and forth searching, seeking silent and powerful, and I am afraid . In our hut , warm with fire we celebrated First Spring Moon with a feast , and dancing, spinning back and forth you were laughing , warm with fire and wine. I didn’t see the black leopard silent and powerful , its spirit slipped from the waves stalking, back and forth, beyond the village searching .

Now I watch the spring sun rising and the waves surging back and forth the black leopard is returned to its body , warm with feast and I don’t want to turn back to my hut , cold and still unmoving .

2. Temple Song

Raise your voices to the Sea Wind through the roof , to the open sky. Raise your eyes to the vault of the heavens the home of the winds mother of the seas temple of all temples , in the open sky. Lift your feet from the ground trace spirals in the water , dancing the dance of the heavens turning like clouds in the open sky. Let the wind and the waters flow through you , carry you like ice on a river spinning and roiling back and forth , through open sky. Give your soul to the Gods carried on the winds across the ocean , across the heavens to the temple beyond the open sky .

3. Shadow Play

Watching shadows dance on stone walls telling the story of the Gods of Storms the mighty Hunter strikes a bold figure rippling in the winds of the great weather unafraid and valiant. The drummers play a martial rhythm the Hunter chases the Thief his limbs so fast! Outpacing his shadow across the stones.

Oh ! my legs are too heavy, I run, the ice cracks thunder drumming the mountains but I cannot catch my prey. Oh ! my legs are too slow I sing a martial song and the storm carries me across the plain.

The storm flashes , shadows on shadows rippling across the sky, I think of her who carries my heart back home in the village . Oh! if I would bring her something fat and heavy , a feast to celebrate dancing, our shadows rippling together on stone walls warm and unafraid .

4. Lullaby

Sleep! Sleep , my darling the sun is set , below the mist the sea is calm, rocking you , piece of my heart . If your soul should fly away with the winds let the Gods of Sky hear my song and bring you back to me and let no dream disturb you .

Sleep ! Sleep, my little one the hearth is warm , I am here by your side to sing you this song so the Gods of Sky bring you back to me.

Sleep! Sleep , my quiet one the morning will soon be here the sun will fill your cheeks with rose once more the wind will fill your mouth with laughter once more The Gods of Sky will bring your soul back to me .

Sleep ! Sleep, my beloved rocking in my arms a little longer. The morning is here The Gods of Sky shake off the veil of night the mists are close and the morning is chilled but here in my arms you’re still warm with me.

5. Prayer for Morning

O Gods of Wind ! Make me your servant and guide my hand . Fill me with your might and show me the hidden path through the mountains . O Gods of Wind! Fill me with your grace and look favorably upon me . May our feet be swift and sure may the storm spare us its wrath our hands strong and clever our eyes sharp and wise . O Gods of Wind ! Take pity on me! The night was long and cold and the sun has not yet warmed this world, o bitter fate ! My bones ache but by your mercy I stride out into the mist in your sheltering hand I am not afraid .

O Gods of the Heavens! Hear my prayer which I send to the sky with the cold morning sun that you might hear it and take pity on me your servant and return to me once more to fill me with your grace and show me the path of rightness once more.

6. Prayer for Evening

O Gods of Stars , Gods of the Sea Wind , still your anger the sun is set . Let the hearth stay warm 'til morning Let the snows fall gently in the night Let the lantern-oil burn clean and cheerful keeping the night at bay 'til morning .

We are small and fearful before you We plead for mercy before you For nothing in this world endures before you Accept this prayer and offering before you And keep warm the hearth of those who bow down before you .

Let me lay myself down on the cold ground before you for the sun is set and the lanterns have gone out on this world I pray for you to take my soul and pity me your servant When I give my breath to you
'til morning.